Briefing Desk
Latest Briefings
Concise reporting on the developments shaping internet governance and infrastructure. Browse each area for recent news, context and watchpoints.
RIR Policy Risk: The Hidden Threat to Your IP Assets
When Nortel Networks filed for bankruptcy in 2009, its most valuable digital asset was 666,624 IPv4 addresses.
Broadcom appoints Alphabet executive Amie Thuener as CFO
Broadcom appoints Alphabet’s Amie Thuener as CFO from June 2026, following its VMware deal and growing AI demand.
SpaceX delays Starship test launch by one month
Starship test postponed as SpaceX navigates engineering complexity and approvals, showing delays remain common in aerospace innovation.
Investors push Big Tech to disclose data centre resource use
Big Tech faces scrutiny over data centre resource use as AI growth drives environmental and regulatory risks.
Amazon targets $9bn Globalstar deal as satellite rivalry intensifies
A potential Amazon-Globalstar deal underscores growing LEO competition, with tech giants competing to redefine global connectivity models.
Russia VPN curbs trigger payment system outage
Russia’s VPN crackdown triggered a payment outage, exposing risks to digital platforms and financial systems
DeepSeek V4 runs on Huawei chips
DeepSeek’s V4 AI model will run on Huawei chips, highlighting China’s push to integrate domestic semiconductors and AI systems.
US moves to expand curbs on Chinese tech gear
Proposed US restrictions on Chinese equipment could reshape telecom and data infrastructure markets worldwide.
Leaseweb expands European cloud campus with new platform tools
Leaseweb upgrades its cloud platform and capacity to support localised, compliant enterprise infrastructure.
Sparkle delivers global IP Transit to power EdgeNext network
Sparkle partners EdgeNext to deliver global IP Transit, boosting edge performance and low-latency delivery.
Amazon’s $9bn Globalstar bid targets Starlink, Apple a key factor
Amazon’s $9bn Globalstar bid could speed up its satellite push against Starlink, with Apple adding complexity.
UK altnets face pressure as fibre market matures
Britain’s fibre market matures as overbuild, flat broadband growth and funding constraints push alternative operators towards consolidation.
Global video revenues to surpass $1tn by 2030
Streaming, advertising and short-form video will push global video revenues beyond $1tn by 2030, marking a major industry shift.
Vodafone warns low digital confidence in seniors stalls growth
Vodafone says seniors’ digital confidence gap is constraining economic participation, urging education and collaboration to boost inclusion.
Amazon eyes $9bn Globalstar deal to challenge Starlink
Amazon is in talks to acquire Globalstar for $9bn, aiming to accelerate its satellite strategy and challenge Starlink in LEO networks.
Double Extraction: The Hidden Cost of RIR Governance
AFRINIC’s US$100 liability cap reflects a structural flaw across all five RIRs. RIR users face double extraction: suppressed asset value plus full exposure to registry risk.
Vertiv unveils CoolPhase Wall for edge cooling
Vertiv launches compact wall-mounted cooling for edge sites in EMEA, enabling efficient, space-saving thermal management.
How Lito Ibarra Connected El Salvador and Shaped Global Governance
Lito Ibarra’s story reveals how the internet was built from scratch and why its governance now struggles at global scale
China chipmakers take 41% domestic AI accelerator market
China’s AI accelerator server market is shifting as local vendors gain 41% share, accelerating self-reliant computing infrastructure.
WhatsApp warns of spyware spread via fake app
WhatsApp warns users after a fake app spread spyware, showing how social engineering bypasses messaging platform security.
Hasbro cyber probe flags rising risks for brands
Hasbro probes a cybersecurity incident after detecting unauthorised activity, highlighting rising cyber risks for global consumer brands.
SpaceX orbital data centres face harsh reality check
SpaceX orbital data centres may face cost and maintenance hurdles similar to Microsoft’s failed subsea project.
Intel deepens SambaNova AI investment plan
Chipmaker Intel deepens ties with SambaNova through new funding, highlighting its push into AI infrastructure and alternative compute models
SpaceX sets April 21 analyst day amid IPO speculation
SpaceX sets April 21 analyst day, opening dialogue with investors as Starlink scales and IPO expectations begin to build.
Oracle plans 30,000 job cuts to accelerate AI infrastructure
Oracle plans to cut up to 30,000 jobs to fund AI and data centre expansion, signalling a major shift towards compute-driven cloud growth.
Huawei boosts R&D spending to strengthen tech self-reliance
With over CNY1.3tn invested in R&D over a decade, Huawei deepens innovation strategy to sustain competitiveness in global tech markets.
AT&T signs $2bn deal to strengthen FirstNet emergency network
AT&T invests in FirstNet resilience with a $2bn deal, upgrading emergency telecom systems for over 31,000 agencies across the US.
Managing IPv4 portfolios: A strategic framework for ISPs and investors
Discover how to track key metrics for IPv4 portfolio performance, from address utilisation to market trends.
Australia taps Anthropic for AI safety, economic data push
Australia signs AI MoU with Anthropic, combining safety research and economic data to shape regulation. A model for global AI governance.
CityFibre launches 8.5Gbps to lift UK broadband standard
CityFibre launches 8.5Gbps broadband, raising UK speed standards and intensifying ISP competition in multi-gig fibre networks.
Nvidia invests $2bn in Marvell to power AI chips
Nvidia invests $2bn in Marvell to expand AI chip and networking collaboration amid rising infrastructure demand.
Nokia wins Virgin Media O2 5G RAN deal for UK network
Nokia signs 5G RAN deal with Virgin Media O2 to accelerate UK network transformation and strengthen market position.
North Korea-linked hack hits core internet software supply chain
A North Korea-linked hack targets core software components, raising urgent concerns over global supply chain security.
Vodafone Idea taps 1.6Tbps optics for 5G surge
Vodafone Idea deploys 1.6Tbps optical technology to boost capacity, signalling a shift to ultra-high-capacity telecom networks in India.
Microsoft pushes AI co-working tools with early Copilot rollout
Microsoft expands Copilot into collaborative AI agents, but doubts remain over cost, control, and real enterprise productivity gains.
Mistral secures $830m debt to build Paris data centre
Mistral AI raises $830m to build a Paris data centre, boosting Europe’s AI infrastructure ambitions.
Match Group settles FTC claims over OkCupid data sharing
Match Group settles FTC claims over OkCupid data sharing, raising concerns about privacy compliance and handling of sensitive user data.
Italy fines Intesa Sanpaolo EUR31.8m over insider data breach
Italy's EUR31.8 million sanction against Intesa Sanpaolo is an insider-access control event, not just a privacy headline. The Garante found that a bank employee accessed banking information for thousands of customers over more than two years, including high-risk clients, while the bank's monitoring model did not detect the pattern quickly enough and later notifications understated the breach. The strategic signal is that banking privacy enforcement is moving from breach reporting into the design of internal query rights, monitoring thresholds, escalation and customer communication.
South Korea’s Rebellions raises $400m to scale AI chip ambitions
Rebellions raises $400m to scale AI chips but faces strong competition, supply limits and uncertain enterprise adoption.
Australia probes tech giants over social media ban
Australia probes tech giants over social media ban compliance, raising global pressure on platforms to strengthen age verification systems.
China’s DeepSeek faces major service outage
DeepSeek AI suffers longest outage after viral rise, exposing infrastructure strain in China’s fast-growing AI sector
KBRO expands Taiwan broadband with Harmonic fibre rollout
KBRO expands fibre-on-demand broadband in Taiwan using Harmonic’s virtualised cOS platform to deliver multi-gigabit connectivity.
Europe data centre growth hit by power constraints
Europe’s data centre growth is accelerating, but power shortages and regulation are limiting expansion, says EUDCA.
Europe must rethink data centre strategy amid AI surge
Europe faces data centre challenges as AI demand rises, warns EUDCA chairman Michael Winterson.
Starlink challenges traditional ISPs as adoption rises
Starlink moves into mainstream broadband, as Opensignal reports growing adoption beyond rural areas and rising competition with ISPs.
Meta Content Policy Chief Monika Bickert to Leave for Harvard
Longtime Meta executive Monika Bickert departs for Harvard, marking a leadership shift amid rising global scrutiny of social media.
Chinese Universities with Military Links Bought Super Micro Servers
Chinese universities with military links reportedly acquired Super Micro servers, raising supply chain concerns.
Huawei AI Chips Gain Traction as Orders Grow
Huawei’s AI chips gain traction as ByteDance and Alibaba plan orders, boosting China’s semiconductor ambitions.
Vodafone Ireland Moves Closer to Direct-to-Device Satellite Launch
Vodafone Ireland advances direct-to-device satellite service, signaling progress towards mobile connectivity without terrestrial networks.
Bickert to Leave for Harvard Law School After 12 Years
Meta’s content policy chief Monika Bickert will leave after 12 years to join Harvard Law School, marking a key leadership change.